Fact Check: "The EU-Ukraine free trade agreement has been in place for over 15 years."
What We Know
The claim that the EU-Ukraine free trade agreement has been in place for over 15 years is inaccurate. The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the European Union and Ukraine was signed as part of the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement. While the political provisions of this agreement were signed on March 21, 2014, the economic part was signed later on June 27, 2014. The DCFTA provisionally entered into force on January 1, 2016 and was formally ratified and fully implemented on September 1, 2017 (European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement, EU trade relations with Ukraine). Therefore, as of now, the agreement has been in effect for less than 8 years.
Analysis
The assertion that the EU-Ukraine free trade agreement has been in place for over 15 years likely stems from a misunderstanding of the timeline of the agreements involved. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which was an earlier framework for EU-Ukraine relations, was signed in 1994 and provided some level of trade cooperation, but it was not a free trade agreement in the same sense as the DCFTA (Ukraine - Trade Agreements).
The DCFTA specifically aims to create a free trade area between the EU and Ukraine, which includes commitments to align Ukrainian legislation with EU standards and regulations. The agreement's provisional application began in 2016, and it has been operational for less than a decade (EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area).
The sources used in this analysis are credible, including official government publications and reputable international agreements. The European Union and the U.S. Department of Commerce provide detailed accounts of the agreements and their timelines, ensuring the reliability of the information presented.
Conclusion
Verdict: False. The claim that the EU-Ukraine free trade agreement has been in place for over 15 years is incorrect. The DCFTA has been in effect for less than 8 years, having entered into force on January 1, 2016, following its signing in 2014. The earlier PCA, while significant, does not equate to a free trade agreement in the modern context of the DCFTA.
